Demountable container

ABSTRACT

A CONTAINER OF FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC COATED PANELS AND ALUMINUM FRAME MEMBERS OF WHICH THE PANELS CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE FRAME WITHOUT BREAKING THE FRAME.

United States Patent Inventors Alexander 13. J. Miller;

William'W. Shaver; Richard Mrotzek, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaApp]. No. 803,237 Filed Feb. 28, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 AssigneePacific Containers Ltd.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada DEMOUNTABLE CONTAINER 2 Claims, 6Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 217/12, 217/65, 217/69, 220/1.5 Int. Cl 865d 9/34 Field ofSearch217/12, 65,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Dreher Newman Allington Jewell eta1. Combs et a] Van Geem et al.

Wykough Engelbrecht Chiswell et a1... Golder Primary Examiner- RaphaelH. Schwartz Attorney Fetherstonhaugh and Co.

52/495-X 52/495 217/69-X 52/282-X 217/69-X 217/65 217/12 52/282-XABSTRACT: A container of fiber reinforced plastic coated panels andaluminum frame members of which the panels can be removed from the framewithout breaking the frame.

PATENTEUJuuzsmn sum 1 or 4 INVENTORG ALEXANDER Ed. MlLLAR WILLIAM W.SHAVER RICHARD MROTZEK \[lllllll lllllllllllllll imwil ulnl ulrliuvll ATwe PATENTED M28 19?: 3,587; 900

' sum 2 or 4 INVENTORG ALEXANDER Ed. MILLAR WILLIAM W SHAVER RICHAREMROTZEK 12% AT ORNEYS PATENTEnJuuzsalsn 3587300 sum 3 OF 4 INVENTORSALEXANDER Ed. MILLAR WILLIAM W. SHAVER RICHAR D MROTZEK x i AmmEWPATENT-ED JUN28|971 3587800 I I SHEET t [1F 4 I INVENTORQ ALEXANDER E. JMILLAR WILLlAM W- SHAVER RICHARD MROTZEK DEMOUNTABLE CONTAINERBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with containersof the kind used in the shipment of goods and which are packed at onesite transported to their destination and are adapted to be transferredfrom one mode of transport to another during that transportation.

Currently, the form and characteristics of the containers of which thisinvention is directly concerned are laid down by the InternationalStandards Organization. This invention seeks to satisfy the requirementsof that standard whilst achieving certain advances. However, it is to beappreciated that the invention is not restricted to the Standard.

In order to comply with the requirements of the Standard concerningstrength and rigidity the majority of manufacturers have resorted to theuse of steel or aluminum for the walls, floor and doors of thecontainers. Difficulty arises with this arrangement inasmuch as to meetthe strength requirements of the Standard either heavy plate must beused or ribbed or otherwise reinforced plate may be used. Thedisadvantages of the first arrangement are apparent and are the cost andweight of the materials and so, the latter arrangement is the mostcommon. However, as the Standard sets the limit on the externaldimensions of the container this means that the ribs or otherreinforcing elements must reduce the internal dimensions of thecontainer.

Also, to meet the strength requirements and also to obtain an effectiveweather seal it is the practice to weld the floor, roof and walls toappropriate frame members where this is possible or, where it is not,for example when aluminum elements are to be secured to steel elements,the various parts are secured by riveting or bolting. In the latterarrangement, the frame members are usually of channel section and theedges of the walls or other panels are. received in that channel so thatweather proofing or caulking is relatively simple.

However, the problem is raised that when a panel becomes damaged itsreplacement is a long and difficult job involving cutting and welding ofeither the panels or the frame. If the damage occurs whilst thecontainer is loaded, for example, the damage occurring when thecontainer is being transferred to a ship, then this is particularlyproblematical for even to apply a patch, welding is necessary and thecontents must be removed from the container and this takes time. In themodern container ship each container has a special place allocated to itand thus the whole loading operation may be delayed until the repair hasbeen made.

The present invention seeks to provide a container ofwhich the panelsare free of projecting reinforcing elements and of which the panels arereadily repaired and simply replaced.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention there isprovided a container having a frame made up of interconnected framemembers and a plurality of plywood panels which are coated with a fiberreinforced plastic and are mounted upon the frame to be removablewithout the need to break down the frame.

According to one aspect of this invention the frame members are made intwo parts between which the edges of the panels are received and the twoparts of the frame member and the edge of the panel are held together byappropriate connector means.

In a particular arrangement according to this invention, the framemembers include a channel section into which the edges of the panels arereceived and one of the flanges deferring the channel is detachable fromthe remainder of the member so that the panel can be removed from theframe member when the detachable flange is removed.

In this latter arrangement is is necessary to seal the channel at theconnection between the two flanges against the ingress ofliquids and inparticular against the ingress ofsea water. To this end the mating edgesof the two flanges are grooved and the peaks between the grooves of thetwo flanges are interdigitated to present a tortuous path against thepassage .of the water.

The advantages of the container of this invention are apparent. In theevent ofa minor mishap in which say, a panel is cracked or pierced asmall patch can be very readily applied without the application of heatso that there is no necessity to unload the container. In the event ofamajor mishap in which one or more panels are extensively damaged thenthese can readily be removed and replaced.

Further by using the fiber reinforced plastic overlaid plywood which islight and strong the necessity for reinforcing is avoided and so theinternal dimensions of the container are greater, for the same externaldimensions, than in the conventional metal containers in whichthereinforcing members project into the interior of the container.Further, the inner walls are clean and free of obstructions.

Other advantages are the easy maintenance of containers of this kind asopposed to that of metal containers for all that is required to restorethe container to its original condition is washing rather than chipping,sanding and painting as with metal containers. Also, because of thesimple erection of the containers, they can be supplied in parts to beassembled by the purchaser and in this way great savings can be made onfreight charges because several containers can be transported, in parts,within a single made up container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is an isometric view ofa container of this invention,

FIG. 2 is a part sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a part sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a part'sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The container is ofrectangular box shape made up of a number of panels, frame members andcorner pieces for interconnecting the frame members.

For easy reference throughout this description it is proposed, whereappropriate, to refer to the various parts of the container withreference to their positions as illustrated in FIG. 1, thus for example,the doors are at the front ofthe container and the end wall at the rear.

There are roof and floor panels 10 and 20 respectively, opposed sidewallpanels 30, and end wall panel 40 and a pair of doors, 50. Each of thesepanels are of plywood overlaid with a fiber reinforced plastic as can beseen for example in FIG. 5 where the overlay of fiber reinforced plasticon the panel 10 is accorded reference numeral 10a.

The frame is made up of upper horizontal side rail 60, lower, horizontalside rails 70, an upper horizontal end wall rail 80, a lower horizontalend rail 90, a pair of upright end wall rails 100, a door sill rail 110,and a door lintel rail 120, and door jamb rails 130.

To interconnect the frame members there are several corner pieces.Similar, but appropriately right and left hand, corner pieces arelocated at the upper front corners of the container and interconnect thelintel rail, the upper horizontal side rails and the door jamb rails. Atthe lower front corners, there are corner pieces I50 (again, as are allthe pairs of corner pieces, appropriately left and right handed)interconnecting the sill rail, the lower horizontal side rails and thedoor jamb rails. At the rear end of the container there are a pair ofupper corner pieces I60 and a pair oflower corner pieces 170, the uppercorner pieces interconnecting the upper horizontal end rail 80 with theupper horizontal side rails and the upright end wall rails. The lowercorner pieces interconnect the lower horizontal sidewall rails, thelower horizontal end wall 75 rail and the upright end wall rails.

Each of the rails has a channel section in which the edge portion of anappropriate one of the panels is received. Of course, the door panels,are not so received and their structure is described in moredetail'hereinafter.

ln FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the interconnection of the lower horizontal rail 70,the door sill rail 110 and door jamb rail 130 is illustrated.

The rail 130, as are all the frame members, is an aluminum extrusion andhas an upright and forwardly extending flange 131, i.e., the flange isparallel to the plane of the sidewall, to which suitable hinges aresecured to mount the door. The hinges and other hardware of the door inthemselves form no part of this invention and thus are not described indetail. The flange 131 is cut away at appropriate intervals as at 132(FIG. 1) to allow the doors to be opened through a 270angle to lie alongthe sidewalls 30.

The rebate for the door is defined by the flange 131 and by wall 132 ofa box section part 133 of the rail. Beyond the box section a flange 134extends in the same plane as the flange 131 to define one of the twoflanges of a channel section 135 for receiving the vertical edge portionof the sidewall 30. The other of the two flanges of the channelcomprises a separable L section piece 136. The shorter limb of the L,together with a thickened section 137 of the rail between the boxsection and flange 134, forms the base of the channel and the matingsurfaces 138 of the flange 136 and the section 137 are each formed withcooperating grooves of V section of which the peaks to each side of thegrooves are interdigitated effectively to seal the base of the channelagainst the passage of water. It will be appreciated that additionalcaulking is provided.

The flange 134 and the L section piece 136 are formed with registeringholes at spaced intervals along their lengths so that bolts may passtherethrough and through corresponding holes in the edge region of thepanel 30 to releasably secure the panel in the frame member. It will beappreciated that when the piece 137 is removed then the panel can bewithdrawn through that side of the channel otherwise blocked by thatpiece.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the door sillrail 110 is ofinverted T-section having an upright web 111 and ahorizontal flange 112, the part of this flange projecting forwardly ofthe web constituting the sill and the rearwardly projecting part beingan element of the means by which the rail is connected to a cornerpiece. Towards the end of the web remote from flange 112 a horizontal,rearwardly projecting flange 113 is formed. This flange, together with aflange 114 of a separate extrusion 115 forms a channel to receive thefront edge ofthe floor panel 20. The extrusion 115 is of L-section andthe extreme edge 116 of the shorter limb of the L is grooved tocooperate with similar grooves on the upper edge 117 of web 111 so thatthat rim and the part ofthe web above the flange 113 form the base ofthe channel and so that the joints in the base of the channel is sealedin the manner ofchannel 135, against the ingress ofwater.

The front edge of the floor panel is received in the channel and each offlanges 114 and 113 has corresponding holes drilled in it at intervalsso that the panel can be secured by bolts passing through those holesand through holes in the edge region of the panels. To detach the panelsthe flange 114 is removed.

The extrusion 70 forming the lower horizontal side rail is to be seen insection in FIG. 4 and is generally L-shaped having a vertical flange 71and a shorter, horizontal flange 72 at its lower edge, the flange 72serving to secure the rail to its associated corner pieces.

A stepped flange 73 projects from flange 71 to provide a ledge 74 uponwhich the side edge of the floor is supported and to provide a thickenedsection 75 which is grooved to cooperate with a correspondingly groovededge 78 of separable flange 76 which, with the portion of flange 71above the step flange 73. forms a channel for receiving the lower edgeof the sidewall 30. The sidewall panel is secured in position by boltspassing through corresponding holes in each of flanges 71 and 76 and inthe edge region ofthe sidewall.

The door sill 110, the doorjamb 130 and the side rail 70 areinterconnected by a corner piece 150 which is a unitary casting ofgenerally block form. The corner piece is preferably of aluminum so thatthe frame members can be welded to it to make a firm connection.

A channel section projection 151 (see FIG. 3) extends from the left handvertical face (as viewed in FIG. 1) of the corner piece and is receivedin the space between the flanges 112 and 113 of the door sill 110. Fromthe rear vertical face of the corner block, an angle piece 152 projectsand this angle piece fits in the angle formed by the flanges 71 and 72of rail 70.

From the upper surface of the corner piece a vertical post extends andfits into the box section part 133 of the door jamb 130.

The block 150 at the other corner of the container is ofsubstantiallysimilar form to the one just described above, but is of the oppositehand.

To reinforce the floor l-section beams are located at intervals alongthe length of the container and extend transversely of the container.

The door lintel extrusion is to be seen in FIG. 3 in cross section andis of generally T-section having an upper horizontal flange 121 and'avertical flange 122. The portion offlange 121 projecting forwardly offlange 122 together with the flange 122 forms a rebate for the door.

A short vertical flange 123 projects from that part of the flange 121rearwardly of the flange 122 and together with section 124 of adetachable flange 125 forms the base of a channel section for receivingthe roof panel 10.

The mating edges 127 of flange 123 and section 124 of flange 125 aregrooved as in the manner of the other channel connections previouslydescribed to seal the base of the channel against the ingress of thewater.

The end of the flange 122 remote from its connection to flange 121terminates in a horizontal flange 126, which serves to secure the railto a cooperating part of the corner piece 140.

ln FIG. 4 the upper horizontal side rail 60 is to be seen in crosssection. The rail 60 is of L-shape, each limb of the L terminating in apanel receiving channel. The channel for receiving the roof 10 is formedby the outer end of the limb 61 of the rail 60, a vertically downwardlyprojecting flange 62 and a detachable flange 63. The mating surfaces 67of flanges 62 and 63 are grooved to sea] the base ofthe channel.

The channel for receiving the sidewall is formed by the outer end offlange 64, a horizontally and inwardly projecting flange 65 and adetachable flange 66 of substantially similar form to flange 63. Bothsides of each of the channels of the rail 60 are drilled at intervalsalong their length to receive bolts for securing the panels in position.

It is to be appreciated that of the pair of rails 60 one is left and theother, right hand.

The corner block for interconnecting rails 120, 60 and 130 is ofaluminum and is hollow block casting with an angle piece 141 (See FIG.4) projecting from its rear vertical face and seating in the anglebetween flanges 61 and 64 of rail 60.

Projecting from the left hand vertical face of the block is a channelsection piece 142 which is received between flanges 121 and 126 of rail120 and has its web adjacent the flange 122 of that rail.

The lower horizontal face of the corner piece has a downwardlyprojecting post adapted to be received in the upper end of the boxsection 133 of the door jamb rail 130, in much the same manner as is theupstanding post of lower corner piece 150.

The upper horizontal end rail 80 and the upright end rail 100 are ofsubstantially similar construction and are to be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.The construction of the rails is apparent from the drawings and as suchare not described in detail herein. The corner block for interconnectingrail 80 and 100 and upper horizontal side rail 60 are of hollow blockform having angle pieces projecting from their appropriate faces forengagement in the angles of the various extruded rails.

Each of the comer blocks is provided with holes into which the hooks ofcranes or other handling equipment may be engaged to move thecontainers. The lower side rails are also provided with spaced apertureswithin which the tines of forklift trucks may be engaged.

The doors are of simple construction comprising an outer frame 51 andpanels of fiber reinforced plastic overlaid plywood. The frame membersmaking up the frame 51 may, if desired, include the inventive principlesof the frame of the other parts of the container so that the edges ofthe door panels are received in channels ofwhich one flange is removableto facilitate the removable and replacement of the door panel shouldthen become damaged.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention describedwith reference to the drawings are exemplary and that the structure maybe varied without deviating from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

' l. A container comprising a frame and a plurality of panels of plywoodoverlayed with fiber reinforced plastic and secured to the frame saidframe including an element of generally L- section, each limb ofthe l.terminating in a panel edge receiving channel of which one of twoflanges defining each channel is detachable from the element to releasethe panel edge received in the channel.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which mating surfaces of theflanges of the channel have longitudinally extending grooves, the peaksformed by the material remaining between the grooves of one surfaceinterdigitated with those on the other.

